Karl W. Butzer (August 19, 1934 – May 4, 2016) was a German-born American geographer, ecologist, and archaeologist.

In 1937 as a young child his family fled[citation needed] Germany for England and later during World War II, they moved to Canada.

[2] At the University of Wisconsin (1960-66), Butzer regularly offered a course on Pleistocene environments, including what is now called geoarchaeology, in addition to introductory physical geography, and graduate seminars in climatology and coastal geomorphology.

At the ETH-Zurich (1981-82), he introduced a new program in human geography, which continued to be implemented after his departure.

At the University of Texas (since 1984), he offered graduate courses in geoarchaeology and environmental history; cultural ecology; historical geography; and landscape, society, and meaning.